Guarded
by mirrorOfsin
Summary: Arthur/Morgana. One shot. Arthur was becoming so guarded with his emotions and Morgana was becoming so hard to read.


Guarded

_Guarding yourself from the love of another_

She got up from her seat and left her room, walking restlessly down the empty corridor, looking all the while out of the windows. From there she could see them training and stopped to watch. It was impressive; like a violent dance as each opponent twisted, lunged and retreated whilst circling each other. It was Arthur fighting and she couldn't help but really admire the way he moved on his feet. He had grown up remarkably from what she remembered of the little boy who used to dismember her dolls with his play sword and she'd then beat him with her own one back.

She leaned against the cold wall; a cool wind blew and flirted with the long black strands of her hair. She brushed it out of her face in time to see Arthur best the other knight. Laughing he helped the other man up and they shook hands, a comment was made and Arthur threw his head back and laughed.

She liked to hear him laugh.

He was becoming so guarded with his emotions that he rarely showed anything but that frustrating, blank expression. So, to see him like this made her smile and remember when he was younger and he openly showed what he was feeling. If she ever beat him or caught him out he'd stomp off and sulk or he'd openly laugh when they played games that sometimes got them into trouble.

Now instead of hitting him with a wooden sword or he destroying another doll, they bantered and argued sometimes sending out a message that it seemed they disliked each other. Morgana felt a pang of nostalgia at the memories and longed to go back to the days where everything was so much easier for them. To when her feeling for him were innocent like all childish crushes were not like this longing desire she felt. Now she wanted to do more than just hold hands with him and this was part of the reason she bantered and argued with him. To keep him from discovering her true feelings.

A knight looked up and spotted her, immediately murmuring that to Arthur. She tore herself away from the wall and hurried along the corridor, glimpsing Arthur turning around to watch her leave.

***

Arthur knew Morgana was there before Sir Kay told him. Like a sixth sense, he could feel her there watching like every time she was in his presence. That was partly the reason he had upped his game, he doesn't know why he needed to prove himself to her but he did it anyway. He watched her slim figure in deep blue hurry away before turning back to his knights.

"I didn't know that the Lady Morgana had an interest in our training," the knight said.

"She doesn't," Arthur replied studying his sword intently.

"She was watching for a full five minutes I say," the knight carried on.

"Really," Arthur murmured dismissively swinging the blade in his hand.

"Yes, something must have caught her eye."

"Or someone," another knight added and Arthur felt himself tense. He knew she had stopped to watch him but he dreaded to think that he was wrong. Dreaded the thought that she had stopped to watch because someone other that himself had caught her eye.

But why did it matter? Morgana was his father's ward and nothing more to him. There were no ties between them of any sort so why did he feel jealous every time she looked at someone else?

Arthur found his fine mood disintegrating and when he turned back to his knights he snapped the orders. He noticed the looks they passed between them but ignored them and they paired up to begin duelling again.

"Sire?" a knight asked hesitantly and Arthur looked at him before giving a nod. The knight went to fetch his sword and briefly Arthur looked wistfully back up to where she had been standing, feeling like she was still there watching. She was so hard to read that most of the time he found himself lost when they spoke. He wished he could read her as easily as she appeared to read him. The knight returned and Arthur glanced away, swiftly pushing Morgana and any emotions down, only to concentrate on the duel at hand.

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A/N: Reviews would be welcomed!


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